A Simple Dinner
by Kristen3
Summary: When Daphne senses that the younger Dr. Crane is hurting, she invites him to have dinner with his family. But that simple gesture leads to something she never expected. One-shot.


"Well, Daphne, what brought this on?" Frasier asked as he sat at the dinner table. The places were set, using the family's best china, and the meal was already on the table. If he hadn't known better, he might've thought it was a special occasion.

Daphne shrugged. "Well, me powers have been telling me your brother could use a bit of cheering up, so I thought this might do the trick. I know I'm not the best cook in the world, but your brother seems to like it!"

Frasier had to bite his lip in order to not mention why Niles was always so quick to compliment Daphne's cooking. "Well, that's very nice of you, Daphne. Don't you think so, Dad?"

"Yeah, yeah. Can we eat now?" Martin asked.

Daphne sighed in frustration. "Well, I suppose Dr. Crane wouldn't mind if we started without him." But no sooner had she spoken than the doorbell rang. Immediately, Daphne went to answer it.

"Hello, Daphne." Niles smiled at the sight of her.

"Hello, Dr. Crane. I'm glad you got me message. Come sit down."

For the first time all day, Niles found himself feeling happy. Just the simple fact that Daphne was glad to see him was a welcome contrast to what he was used to. "Well, this looks lovely," Niles said as he took his seat. He knew his father and brother were often less than supportive of Daphne's efforts in the kitchen, so he tried to do all he could to compliment her whenever he got the chance.

"Thank you," Daphne replied with a smile. "I thought maybe a nice dinner with your family would make you feel better. I know things with Mrs. Crane aren't going well."

"Well, she's in Europe at the moment, so things aren't really going at all," Niles said. "But thank you for thinking of me." He couldn't help but stare at her for a moment. Was she really unaware of how beautiful she was, both inside _and_ out?

Martin saw the way his younger son was looking at Daphne. Something about his expression said that he was falling for her all over again. "Uh, Frase, I just remembered I was supposed to meet Duke for a drink tonight to watch the game." Martin had no idea what was making him do this, but it felt like the right thing to do.

"You remembered this _now_?" Frasier asked. "I suppose you want me to drive you, right? Can't it wait till after dinner?"

"No, it can't," Martin replied, looking at Niles' expression once more.

Frasier sighed, seeing that his father wasn't going to take 'no' for answer. "All right. Fine. Come on." He got up from the table and grabbed his jacket and keys.

"Thanks, Frase. You can stay and watch the game with us if you want!"

At that, Frasier gave his father a look that clearly said he'd rather spend an evening looking at Noel's extensive collection of _Star Trek_ memorabilia. Without further argument, father and son left the apartment.

"Well, that was certainly odd," Daphne said to Dr. Crane once they were alone. "I know I heard Mr. Crane say that Duke was out of town this week."

Niles felt a rush of love for his father. He had a feeling he knew what had prompted his father's sudden desire to leave the apartment. "Don't worry about Dad, Daphne. You should sit and eat." He gestured to the seat across from him.

"All right, then." She sat down, smiling warmly at him. "This is nice, just the two of us sharing a meal together. Kind of reminds me of that night at your place."

Niles sighed as the memory came back to him. Many times he'd relived that night in his mind, especially the time they'd spent in the kitchen, singing _Heart and Soul_ as they chopped vegetables. "Yes, that was a wonderful evening."

"I still think it's a pity Phyllis had to leave so soon. I know how much you were looking forward to your date with her."

Even though several months had passed since that memorable night, Niles had never told her the truth. But now he saw that he had no choice. He couldn't discuss his "crush" on his neighbor without risking a serious nosebleed. "There's something I should tell you, Daphne." His heart was now pounding harder than he could ever remember.

"I hope you didn't try asking Phyllis out again. I don't think she was really your type, if you don't mind my saying so."

Niles smiled. "No, I didn't do that. But I've got a confession to make. When you were asking about the woman I loved, I told you she was beautiful and sweet. And -"

"Oh, Dr. Crane, you still have feelings for her, don't you?" Daphne could tell by the way he smiled, just talking about this woman.

"I suppose I do," Niles replied, feeling himself blush. "But I wasn't talking about Phyllis. When you asked me for the woman's name, I panicked and said the first name that came to mind. The name I wanted to say was Daphne."

"You don't mean..." Daphne couldn't even finish the sentence. The thought was ridiculous.

"Yes, Daphne, it was you. You were the woman I wanted to have dinner with. I know I should've just told you then how I felt, but I just couldn't do it. The thought of you rejecting me was just too much."

"You thought I'd reject you?" Daphne laughed. "Why on earth would I do that?"

Suddenly, Niles felt as if he were flying. Was this really happening? "You wouldn't have?"

"Why of course not! I've a confession to make, too. Ever since you and Mrs. Crane split up, I've been watching you. I mean, it's not hard to notice how sad you've been lately. I've been hoping you'd find someone who could make you happy."

Niles grinned, now feeling a bit bolder. He reached for her hand across the table. "Finding her was never the problem. I just needed to find a way to tell her how I felt." He gently kissed the back of her hand.

"I can see that now," Daphne replied, blushing a bit from the kiss. "I'm very flattered. Thank you." She knew this wasn't the response he was looking for, but she was still a little overwhelmed.

Niles nodded, understanding that she needed space. For a few moments, they ate in silence. If nothing else, they were friends, so they didn't necessarily need conversation. Soon the plates were empty. By instinct, Daphne rose to begin clearing the table. "Here, let me help you," Niles said, also standing.

Somehow, in that small gesture, Daphne realized something. She _did_ love him. It had taken her a while to realize it because of their deep friendship, but this wasn't the same sort of love she felt for his brother. It was definitely romantic. She leaned forward, not even caring about the dishes in her hand, and kissed him.

The feeling of Daphne's lips on his was amazing. As she pulled away, Niles hardly knew what to say or think. But the smile on her face told him she was feeling the same way. She stared at him for a moment, as if seeing him for the first time. "Well, Niles, I suppose we have some dishes to wash, don't we?"

It took a moment for Niles to realize what she was talking about. He'd completely forgotten about the plates. But once he recovered from the shock, he followed her into the kitchen. With Daphne by his side, he knew, even a mundane household chore would be magical. He could hardly wait to get started.

**The End**

**Author's Note: **I need to say thank you to Andrea (**iloveromance**), because it was her story, "The Talk of Seattle," which planted the seed for this, albeit in a very roundabout way. *Hugs*


End file.
